THE recent discovery of imported red fire ants with potentially lethal bite in Port Botany did not serve as the wake-up call it should have.
That's the opinion of the Invasive Species Council chief executive officer Andrew Cox, who said the recent passage of the biosecurity bill through the Senate was "too weak" and a "squandered reform opportunity".
Mr Cox said the government failed to create strong biosecurity laws when incursions of invasive pests were reported.
He said the new biosecurity laws lacked accountability and details.
"There are some useful measures, [but it] doesn't go far enough."
Mr Cox said many of Australia's trading partners wanted a relaxation of quarantine laws which would be at the expense of indigenous flora and fauna.
The red imported fire ant situation was a case in point: Mr Cox said south-east Queensland is 14 years into an eradication program which has cost $300 million.
"It probably has another 10 years to go if we are lucky," he said.
He said the ants were recently discovered in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens — it is thought they had been there for six months.
"They can poison it and eradicate it but who knows what other infestations they haven't found yet. With the Port Botany event they had been there six months and it could have gone into Kurnell.
"So far it has been all clear."
Mr Cox said the fact that the ants were discovered almost by accident was telling in itself.
"They should have been looking for the ants but they weren't doing regular surveillance [for red imported fire ants]."
Thousands of the ants live in each mound and if the mound is disturbed hundreds of ants rush out immediately and begin stinging.
In the United States where the ants have a strong foothold people have died after suffering reactions from the bites.
Once the ants are established it is impossible to contain them, Mr Cox said.
How would you improve bio-security in Port Botany?
